All posts in category CAN*CON

At one point I promised myself I would improve my blogging habits, as it’s important to have something to shoot for. I’m happy to report that I continue to have a goal in this department. While I didn’t post much here in 2018, a lot did, in fact, go on – perhaps it’s accurate to say that I was busy trying to do things that would be worthy to post here.

Yeah, we’ll go with that.

So, without further ado, I’ll run though how 2018 shaped up for me…

Fiction

The year started off with a high note when I learned that “The Wind Father”, my Lovecraftian weird western story that was published in 2017 by Third Flatiron Publishing in their “Principia Ponderosa” anthology, made it onto Tangent Online’s 2017 Recommended Reading list . This was almost as good as winning an award, and it buoyed my spirits in the early months of 2018.

In May, “Full House”, a science fiction story I co-wrote with my partner, Fiona Plunkett, was picked up by Exile Editions for their “Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland” anthology. This story was intended to be a fast-paced piece with space operatic overtones, and I was glad that Tangent Online also thought so. We had a successful book launch in Ottawa, and followed up with more readings later that year at CAN*CON. I was especially happy that “Full House” got the nod because I’ve long been a fan of space opera and wanted to get something published in that genre. Fiona and I ended the story with Alis and Risus heading out for further adventures, and I plan to see where they end up. 😉

Around the same time, I received word that a horror story of mine called, “The Draught of Dreams” had been accepted by Lycan Valley Publishing for their “Subliminal Realities” anthology. This was especially satisfying because this was one of the first stories I ever wrote, and each rejection (more than I care to count) only made me even more certain that it was a tale that needed to be told. The book is due out soon, and I happy the story finally has a home.

This year was also a good one for reprints—two, in fact. “Giving At The Office”, which originally appeared in Dusty Wallace’s “People Eating People” (2014), was picked up by Digital Fiction Publishing for their latest horror anthology. Also, my Lovecraftian tale of terror on the Great Lakes, “Deadly Cargo”, will appear in Pole-to-Pole Publishing’s “Re-Terrify” anthology, due to come out soon.

More recently I received word that another story of mine has been accepted in an anthology due for release in early 2019, but I can’t say more for the moment… 😉

Gaming

For the past couple of years I had been devoting a considerable amount of energy to my work for The Ed Greenwood Group, but when the company folded I saw an opportunity to take what I learned and cast my net out farther. I’m happy to say that a few articles of mine will be appearing in the next issue of Arkham Gazette, a Call of Cthulhu-themed magazine produced by Sentinel Hill Press under license from Chaosium, Inc. Writing material for my favourite Lovecraftian game has long been a career goal of mine, and getting my foot in the door makes me feel like I levelled-up (pun slightly intended). There is the possibility of more work with SHP, so time will tell.

2018 was also a turning point for me, game-writing wise, because it was the first time a professional market approached me to write something for them. Expeditious Retreat Press asked me for an adventure module, and I happily delivered one to them in the horror vein. Stay tuned for updates on when it will come out!

Other stuff is on tap for 2019, but again I can’t say anything about it right now.

Other Awesomeness

Perhaps the most surprising thing that happened this year was when Tito Ferradans, a Vancouver-based film-maker, approached me for the rights to make a short film based on my short story, “White Noise”, which was first published by AE Science Fiction in 2013, and re-printed in the anthology, “Fractured: Tales of the Canadian Post-Apocalypse”. This has been a hugely exciting experience, and I can’t wait to see the final product! Tito created an Indiegogo campaign to finance the making of this film. There’s still some time left before the campaign ends, so I invite you to check it out and support an indie film-maker!

The leaves are turning, chill winds are beginning to blow, and Hallowe’en is just around the corner…

…and that means CAN*CON, Ottawa’s annual conference on speculative arts and literature, is upon us again!.

This year’s program is loaded with excellent panels you won’t want to miss, and there are a number of very notable guests you’ll want to meet! Although pre-registration is now full, you can still buy admission at the door.

18:00-18:50 (Dealers’ Room)Exile Editions Table
I will be manning the table for Exile Editions – copies of Alice Unbound and other Exile titles will be on sale. Stop by for a chat!

20:00-20:50 (Salon D)Braaaains. Please. Sorry.
A discussion of the mark made by Canadian zombie fiction and its connection to our wider focus on the living dead.

Saturday, October 13

I’m not on any panels, but will be there for much of the day.

Sunday, October 14

11:00-12:50 (Salon C)Creating Game Adventures: From Outline to Treasure Hoard (Seminar & Workshop)
Love RPGs? Ever consider writing your own module? Join me for this 2-hour workshop where I will you through the considerations and process of writing for an RPG, beginning with a seminar discussion of what you need to consider, and finishing with a collaborative workshop. The best part? You’ll walk away with the beginnings of a product that you can market to games publishers.

1:00-1:50 (Dealers’ Room)Exile Editions Table
I’ll be manning the table once again for Exile Editions.